Places in Jordan - Petra

The rose red city half as old as time.

The Nabataeans arrived in the area in the 4th century B.C. and succeeded to establish their great kingdom all the way from the northern border with Arabia, to the southern border with Syria. Due to the natural fortification of the area, Petra was chosen by the Nabataeans as their capital city. They diverted all the trade routes so that Petra was at the centre of all the important civilizations in the ancient world.

Your tour to Petra starts either by walking on your own two feet, or riding on horse-back, but only as far as the entrance of the canyon Siq. The 'Siq' is one mile long, and your tour seems to be endless because of the many bends and turns along on the way. Colours change dramatically along the Siq; then, all of a sudden, you find yourself overwhelmed by one the most impressive facades in the world, called the Treasury.

After the Treasury, the tour continues like a dream from which you never wish to wake up from! Each corner brings a new surprise. Then you continue the excursion through the Royal section, including houses and tombs for the Royal Family, the Theatre, the shops, the Court of Justice, the Corinthian Palace, Silk Palace, the Palace Tomb, the Nymphium, a Roman colonnaded street, the Arched Gate, and the Daughter's Palace. The museum in Petra is well worth a visit. Then you may start climbing to see the highlights of Petra: the Monastery, the High Place of Sacrifice, Mother of Cisterns, Khubtha Mountain and Al Madras. Visitors can hike for the whole day to visit Aaron Mountain, the place where Moses presumably buried his brother Aaron, to the Snake Monument, Sabra, and many others. In other words, you the visitor to Petra may spend more than one day wandering amongst the wonders of the city to return home rich with culture and knowledge, treasuring the tour as a dream for the rest of your life.